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Agoraphobia is a type of anxiety disorder that encompasses many different types of phobias linked to the need to leave a distressing environment. People with this disorder avoid locations and circumstances where they can feel confined, helpless, anxious, ashamed, or uncomfortable.
People are afraid of places or circumstances where they feel trapped or helpless if their anxiety worsens. Sometimes anxiety can become unbearably intense merely by imagining the circumstances.
People who suffer from this disorder frequently restrict their lives as a result of this overwhelming dread. Parking lots, throngs of people, elevators, and doing a solo bridge drive might be avoided. In crowded environments, the fear may get worse. When it's at its worst, agoraphobia might make you too terrified to ever leave your house.
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Types Of Agoraphobia
Is there a correlation between Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia? You may have them both. These are distinct conditions, though. Agoraphobics have an intense fear of a dreaded environment and are more gradual. Whereas, repeated panic attacks caused by panic disorder may occur suddenly.
People who suffer from panic disorder may eventually acquire agoraphobia. When you attempt to stop more panic attacks, this happens. You might cease going to places where you've previously experienced panic attacks. This frequently entails avoiding public spaces, which is a defining symptom of agoraphobia.
Different forms of agoraphobia include the following:
1) Paranoid Type
A mix of paranoia and agoraphobia is classed under the paranoid sub-type. False beliefs or an excessive focus on the truth can lead to paranoia, which frequently makes a person feel threatened or in danger.
Agoraphobia, on the other hand, is a severe phobia of feeling uncomfortable and being unable to flee from it.
2) Claustrophobia
People with claustrophobia are afraid of cramped, compact environments. They struggle over being confined or trapped in small areas because of their tremendous levels of anxiety condition of claustrophobia, which is rather prevalent and can go away or be effectively treated.
3) Enochlophobia
A typical social phobia called enchophobia involves an irrational fear of large groups. This illness typically affects more women than males. Due to their intense anxiety, people who have enochlophobia frequently avoid events like sporting competitions and concerts.
4) Disorganized Type
People who suffer from this type frequently, struggle to keep their mental and bodily balance, thus they rely more on their visual and tactical senses. Their touch and visual signals are susceptible to distortion if the brain translates them incorrectly.
When walking across a bridge and feeling the wind, a person could feel like they are about to fall. They struggle to feel stable because their sense of balance is inaccurate, which causes the five senses and the brain to communicate in a disordered manner. A serious panic may result from this misunderstanding.
5) Catatonic Type
The inability to move normally is referred to as being in a catatonic state. This type prevents people from speaking or moving when they are in frightful circumstances.
For some people, getting up from a sitting position, picking up a jar, and entering a room can be challenging. People may become anxious and find it difficult to perform duties, which can be risky.
What Are The Causes of Agoraphobia?
Some cases of this disorder can be brought on by an earlier panic attack. Most of the time, we can tie this phobia to a trauma or a string of traumatic events that combine to create painful experiences. The following are some psychological risk factors:
- Traumatised childhood
- A stressful life situation
- Diagnoses of mental illness in the past
- Abusing drugs
- Issues in relationships
It can also be brought on by unreasonable and severe concerns of the following:
- Suffering harm as a result of violent crime or terrorism
- Catching an illness from a group of people
- Humiliation, shame, or embarrassment in public
Signs and Symptoms of Agoraphobia
Agoraphobia and social anxiety are frequently confused due to similarities in their symptoms. Heart palpitations, nausea, dizziness, headaches, shortness of breath, perspiration, shaking, and a sense of impending death are among the symptoms that are similar.
Those with this disorder experience severe fear in situations that make them panic, but people with social anxiety may feel embarrassed, humiliated, or rejected in social settings. Symptoms can manifest as:
- Chest discomfort or pain
- Breathing difficulty
- Feeling faint, lightheaded, woozy, or unsteady
- Fainting
- The sensation of choking
- Nausea and abdominal pain
- Heart palpitations, pounding, or a rapid heartbeat
- Sweating or Trembling
- Heat or cold sensations
Takeaway
When agoraphobia sets in, it generates intense anxiety in places or circumstances from which you can't readily flee or receive aid. However, some people can stop experiencing symptoms with treatment.
More people manage their symptoms momentarily, though they may relapse under pressure. However, some people still have agoraphobia while receiving treatment. A mental health specialist, such as a psychologist or psychiatrist, can help you get started on the road to recovery if you have symptoms.
Janvi Kapur is a counselor with a Master's degree in applied psychology with a specialization in clinical psychology.
